


Take Three

by kaydeefalls



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Community: contrelamontre, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-05-16
Updated: 2003-05-16
Packaged: 2017-10-14 04:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/145586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaydeefalls/pseuds/kaydeefalls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm gonna go outside for a smoke, care to join me?" A scene with three possible outcomes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take Three

**Author's Note:**

> written for ContreLaMontre's "Sliding Doors" challenge. 80 minutes.

**Take 1:**

"Gotta take a piss," Dom murmurs into Billy's ear, squeezing his knee lightly and leaving a quick kiss on his lips. "Be right back."

Billy nods and smiles, taking another gulp of his beer. He watches Dom weave his way through the sea of people, blatantly admiring the rear view until Dom is swallowed up in the crowd. He finishes his beer, listening to the faint strains of rock music floating through the pub, the clinking of glasses and incomprehensible buzz and chatter.

Elijah slides into the seat across from him, face flushed. "Hey, Bills. You seen Orli around?"

"Not for a while. Thought you two had slipped out on us." He winks, and is rewarded with a sudden bright pinkness in Elijah's ears.

"We. I. Um. I mean, I went to the bar to get another shot of something or other, and then he was gone." Elijah shrugs. "Whatever, he'll turn up."

Billy nods noncommittally. Orli always turns up somewhere.

The music switches to some godawful American pop thingy. Elijah winces. "I'm gonna go outside for a smoke, care to join me?"

Billy contemplates his now-empty pint. Dom said he'd be right back, right? "Nah, I think I'll hang around for a bit, grab another pint."

Elijah shrugs. "Suit yourself." He slides back out of the booth and vanishes into the crowd.

After a few seconds, Billy stands, glass in hand. His bladder decides to make its presence known. The thought of more beer suddenly makes Billy feel a little queasy. He sets the glass back down with a sigh, and starts working his way through the crowded pub.

The loo is marked with a faded blue sign that may have once depicted the standard outline of a man. Or maybe it was always just faded and blue. Billy pushes the door open. It takes his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the harsh white fluorescent lights, and his ears a few seconds to register the faint, inarticulate groaning.

Dom has Orli pushed up against a wall, hands pressed firmly into Orli's shoulders, mouth on Orli's. And it's not like Orli is trying to resist -- his arms are around Dom's neck, fingers woven tightly through Dom's short hair. Billy's lips burn just looking at that kiss.

He clears his throat unconsciously, and the scene shatters. Dom jumps away from Orli like he's been burned, hands automatically tugging at his rumpled shirt to straighten it. Orli just smiles and blinks, not yet registering the identity of the intruder.

"I can explain," Dom says hastily.

Billy turns and walks out, letting the door swing shut behind him. He doesn't look back, just lets the sea of people swallow him whole.

*

 **Take 2:**

"Gotta take a piss," Dom murmurs into Billy's ear, squeezing his knee lightly and leaving a quick kiss on his lips. "Be right back."

Billy nods and smiles, taking another gulp of his beer. He watches Dom weave his way through the sea of people, blatantly admiring the rear view until Dom is swallowed up in the crowd. He finishes his beer, listening to the faint strains of rock music floating through the pub, the clinking of glasses and incomprehensible buzz and chatter.

Elijah slides into the seat across from him, face flushed. "Hey, Bills. You seen Orli around?"

"Not for a while. Thought you two had slipped out on us." He winks, and is rewarded with a sudden bright pinkness in Elijah's ears.

"We. I. Um. I mean, I went to the bar to get another shot of something or other, and then he was gone." Elijah shrugs. "Whatever, he'll turn up."

Billy nods noncommittally. Orli always turns up somewhere.

The music switches to some godawful American pop thingy. Elijah winces. "I'm gonna go outside for a smoke, care to join me?"

Billy contemplates his now-empty pint. Dom said he'd be right back, right? Well, so will Billy. "Yeah, sure."

Elijah grins brightly at him. The lad hates smoking alone, Billy knows, but the only person who'll usually join him is Orli. Who is...well, somewhere, apparently.

But as he stands to follow Elijah outside, his bladder decides to make its presence known. "Ugh. Hold up, Elijah, I need to make a detour to the loo. I'll catch you in a few."

"I guess I could use a piss, too," Elijah shrugs, eyes sparkling with mirth or alcohol. "I'll follow you."

They push their way through the crowded pub, Billy leading the way. Elijah grabs a hold of his arm, trying not to lose him in the mass of people.

"Since when is this place so bloody popular?" Billy grumbles as they emerge near the loos.

"Friday night," Elijah breathes in his ear. "We usually go elsewhere on Friday nights."

Billy nods, squinting at the sign for the loo. It was probably blue once, but is now so faded that he can't make out whether it's the symbol for men or women. Ah, fuck it. Besides, Elijah's already shoving past him, pushing the door open.

It takes their eyes a few seconds to adjust to the harsh white fluorescent lights, and their ears a few seconds to register the faint, inarticulate groaning. Dom has Orli pushed up against a wall, hands pressed firmly into Orli's shoulders, mouth on Orli's. And it's not like Orli is trying to resist -- his arms are around Dom's neck, fingers woven tightly through Dom's short hair. Billy's lips burn just looking at that kiss.

"What the fuck?" Elijah's voice is high-pitched and strangled.

The scene before them shatters. Orli pushes Dom away, eyes still making the transition from lust to shock. Dom just blinks at them, not quite comprehending yet.

"I can explain," Orli says hastily.

Elijah takes a half-step forward, hands balled into fists. Billy's not sure what he's planning on doing, exactly, but doesn't really want to find out. He grabs Elijah's arm, pulling him back. "Come on, Lij, let's go."

"But they--"

"Let's go," Billy repeats through gritted teeth.

Elijah glares at him, then at Dom and Orli. "Fuckers," he breathes, and jerks his arm free of Billy's hand. He turns and stomps out, slamming the door shut behind him.

The sounds of the pub filter faintly through the closed door. Dom starts forward, reaching out to Billy, but Billy shakes his head sharply. "Don't you come near me. Either of you."

"Billy..."

Billy turns and walks out. He doesn't slam the door, just goes. Back in the pub, he tries to find Elijah, but the sea of people must have swallowed him. Or something.

*

 **Take 3:**

"Gotta take a piss," Dom murmurs into Billy's ear, squeezing his knee lightly and leaving a quick kiss on his lips. "Be right back."

Billy nods and smiles, taking another gulp of his beer. He watches Dom weave his way through the sea of people, blatantly admiring the rear view until Dom is swallowed up in the crowd. He finishes his beer, listening to the faint strains of rock music floating through the pub, the clinking of glasses and incomprehensible buzz and chatter.

Elijah slides into the seat across from him, face flushed. "Hey, Bills. You seen Orli around?"

"Not for a while. Thought you two had slipped out on us." He winks, and is rewarded with a sudden bright pinkness in Elijah's ears.

"We. I. Um. I mean, I went to the bar to get another shot of something or other, and then he was gone." Elijah shrugs. "Whatever, he'll turn up."

Billy nods noncommittally. Orli always turns up somewhere.

The music switches to some godawful American pop thingy. Elijah winces. "I'm gonna go outside for a smoke, care to join me?"

Billy contemplates his now-empty pint. Dom said he'd be right back, right? Well, so will Billy. "Yeah, sure."

Elijah grins brightly at him. The lad hates smoking alone, Billy knows, but the only person who'll usually join him is Orli. Who is...well, somewhere, apparently.

His bladder protests as he stands, but Billy chooses to ignore it. It can wait until Elijah has finished his smoke, at least. He nods at Elijah. "Lead on."

The path to the exit is shorter and more manageable than that to the loo, anyway. They make their way out easily. The pub door closes behind them, leaving the chatter and clinking and bad music inside.

Elijah pulls his pack of cigarettes out of his jeans pocket, flipping it open and selecting one. He glances over at Billy, indicates the pack with the cig in his hand. "Want one?" He always offers, even though he knows that Billy will refuse.

"No, thanks."

Elijah shrugs and pockets the pack, rummaging through his other pockets with his free hand. Unsuccessfully, apparently. "Fuck. Where's my lighter?"

"Maybe you lost it inside."

"No, that's--" Elijah stops short, smacking himself on the forehead. "Oh, of course, I leant it to Orli twenty minutes ago. Fucker never returned it. Typical."

Billy watches Elijah fidget, toy with the cigarette, finally sigh and flip it away into the street. The alcohol is starting to buzz through his bloodstream, making the tips of his fingers tingle. Elijah smiles sheepishly at him, and Billy thinks, bizarrely, that the kid would be ridiculously easy to seduce. If he ever wanted to seduce him. Which he doesn't, but the alcohol tells him that this is the Funniest Thing Ever and he struggles to keep from laughing.

"What?" Elijah demands.

Billy shakes his head, grinning. "Nothing." He pictures shoving Elijah against the wall -- right here on the street! -- and kissing him, hard, pressing his hands firmly into Elijah's shoulders. Elijah would be surprised at first, but then his arms would go around Billy's neck, fingers woven tightly through Billy's hair, tongue pushing into Billy's mouth. Billy's lips burn just imagining it.

Elijah looks at him quizzically. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Billy repeats, shoving the mental image away. It was amusing at first, but things like that don't actually happen, not when Billy is sleeping with Dom on a semi-regular basis and Elijah is doing god-knows-what with Orli behind everyone's back. "Just wondering where Dom and Orli are, that's all. Shall we go back in, then?"

"Sure," Elijah says with a shrug. "It's getting chilly out here, anyway."

The dull roar of the pub greets them as they go through the door and push their way back to the booth. It doesn't take long for Dom to rejoin them, sliding in next to Billy, and a few minutes later Elijah finds Orli at the bar.

Billy remembers that he needs to take a piss, and makes his way through the crowded pub. The loo has a faded blue sign on the door and harsh white fluorescent lights. There's no one else inside.


End file.
